Tangled: A Gravity Falls Fairytale
by SophiaCrutchfeild
Summary: Mabel, a young princess in a tower, has longed for freedom her whole life. What happens to the young thief, Bill Cipher, when he finds himself forced to babysit a naive girl, who just happens to have one of the darkest pasts of anyone he's met?
1. Prologue (Or- The Stupidity of Royalty)

Author's Note: I back with another Disney movie! This one is going to be kind of darker than the movie we all love, but hey, that's just me. I hope you all enjoy Tangled: a Gravity Falls Fairytale.

Prologue

This is the story of how I died… wait no it's not! Who the heck wrote this script? Okay, not using these notes then…

My name is Bill Cipher, and I'm alive, thank you very much. This story does not end with me dying… I hope. If it does, then I'll be very annoyed and it's inaccurate. I mean it's not even really my story. It's a story about a fifteen-year-old girl who I got stuck basically babysitting for a long weekend when she ran away from home.

See, in the beginning, the moon let a drop of light fall to the Earth. Don't ask me about the physics of that, because I don't know them. It happened, and that's that. Anyway, there must have been a seed or something in that light, because a magic glowing flower grew from it. Yeah, I know. You can stop laughing at me. Seriously, quit laughing or I'll do something I may regret… but probably won't.

Anyway, an old witch found the flower, and she used it's magic to stay twenty-one for hundreds of years. Guess how? Well, apparently the flower was a real music lover. She sang to it, and it granted her youth.

" _Flower, gleam and glow… let your power shine… make the clock reverse… bring back what once was mine._

 _Save what has been lost… change the fates' design… heal what has be hurt… bring back what once was mine… what once was mine…"_

Yeah, creepy right? I've heard that flowers respond well to music, but this is ridiculous. Anyway, instead of sharing the flower, which in all honesty probably would have gotten her killed for witchcraft, she hid it, and kept it to herself.

Moving past that, okay. There was a kingdom nearby, ruled by a beloved king and queen who didn't believe in capital punishment, which is probably why everyone loved them. The king and queen had a young son, Dipper, who was like, four or something. The queen was pregnant, and she was pretty sick. They said that she was going to die, and the baby was, too. Someone must have seen the witch, Gothel, at some point, because there were rumors flying about a flower that could heal the sick. Everyone began scouring the land for it, because people are superstitious idiots who think magic flowers can heal the sick. Well… okay, so in this case they were right, but still.

Gothel left the flower out at one point, or something… I guess the basket blew over? Anyway, she made a very stupid oversight, and the flower was found.

It was made into a potion to give to the queen, who was healed, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, with dark black hair, the color of the night. Her name? Mabel.

To celebrate that the kid was alive, the king, queen, and young prince launched a lantern into the sky. The family was very happy for about a year…

That was how long it took for Gothel to figure out how to break in to the nursery.

She entered as swiftly as the dark, and held a lock of the princess' hair in her hand.

" _Flower gleam and glow…"_ she sang, and Mabel's hair shimmered like it was made of moonlight. " _Let your power shine!"_ she sang, pulling out knife. " _Make the clock…"_ she cut the hair, and suddenly it stopped glowing, and turned an ashy brown, like her brother's… speaking of her brother…

"What are you doing in my sister's room?" the five-year old Pine Tree kid asked the witch. Then, he noted the knife in her hand, and his sister in her other arm. "PUT HER DOWN!" yelled the protective older brother.

The witch simply laughed, and marked the young prince before jumping out the window and into the night…

The kingdom searched for years, but with no success, and the prince's heart grew dark and vengeful. He knew he was to repay the woman who stole his sister and scarred him for life, if he was ever to live in peace.

Dark days fell upon the kingdom. I remember the day that it was announced that the king and queen had left the earth. The young prince, then twelve, ascended to the throne and ruled the kingdom harshly, with an iron fist. I was nine when that happened (by the time I was thirteen, I was well acquainted with him. In fact, I was one of the few who could get a rise out of him).

As Dipper gained his throne, far away in the deep forest, Gothel was brushing the hair of an eight-year old, who was singing softly.

" _Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine…"_ the young girl sang sweetly. "Mama?" she asked.

"Yes Mabel?" Gothel asked.

"Why can't I go outside?"

"The outside world is a dangerous place, Mabel," Gothel told her. "You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, my flower?"

"Yes Mama," the girl said sadly. "I understand."

Gothel had found her new flower, and was determined to keep her hidden… but the walls of the tower couldn't hide everything. See, every year on her birthday, her brother, the king, would launch thousands of lanterns into the sky, in hopes that his lost sister would one day return.

Fourteen years after Gothel had stolen Mabel, the king had taken a beautiful bride, and while his rule became slightly kinder, he remained as furiously determined to find the young princess. Mabel had grown into a restless young woman, impatient and longing for her freedom. Me? I was on the brink of the greatest heist of all time.

That, my friends, is where our tale begins… enjoy Mabel's Tangled.

Good luck.


	2. Mabel in the Tower

Author's Note: Okay, before you start yelling… I was out all day helping my mom with some stuff that's crucial to my _continuing to write._ As such, I'm tired, and this may or may not be the only chapter I post today. If I'm still reasonably alert an awake after this, I'll try to post another, but I give no promises. Okay? Okay.

Also, only the prologue and epilogue are in Bill's POV. The rest is third person.

Mabel looked around the room for her tiny pig. She smiled, an idea coming to her.

"Hmm," she said. "I guess Waddles isn't in the kitchen…"

She looped a strand of hair over the knob of a cupboard, and as she left the room, pulled suddenly, spinning around. "Aha!" she shouted, revealing Waddles, who slouched out. "That's twenty-four for me… how's twenty-five out of forty-nine sound to you?"

"Oink," Waddles said.

"Well, what do you want to do then?" Mabel asked. Waddles perked up, and took off for the window, oinking excitedly. "Oh, no," Mabel shook her head. "Mama would be furious. Anyway, I like it in here."

Waddles slumped down dejectedly.

"Oh, c'mon," Mabel laughed. "It's not _so_ bad in there…"

She jumped off the windowsill, her long black hair trailing behind her… sixty feet behind her, to be exact.

" _Seven a.m. the usual morning line up,"_ she sang cheerily as she began her chores. " _Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop, and shine up… sweep again, and by then, it's like…"_ she looked at a clock and sighed. " _So, it's still 7:15."_

She shrugged under Waddle's stare that clearly, to her at least, said, 'What are you going to do now?'

" _So, I'll read a book? Or maybe two? Three?"_ she suggested, pulling the three books she had off the shelves, but realized she'd read them all before. "I know! _I'll add a few new painted scrapbookertunities!"_ she sang, painting the walls with pictures of scenes she recalled from the past few days. " _I'll play guitar, and knit!"_ she sang, as she made herself a new sweater. _"I'll cook and, basically…"_ she sighed, and gave in to Waddles' pointed look. " _I'll wonder, when will my life begin?"_ she groaned, and slumped down against the wall. "Okay, whatever… _then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and… baking?"_ she looked at her concoction, which included glitter, small toys, and lots of pink. "Oh! _Paper-Mache, a bit of ballet and chess!"_ she sang, while attempting a pirouette and tripping over her hair, before popping up cheerily. " _Pottery and ventriloquy! Candle making?"_ she looked around. "Okay, boring! _So I'll sketch, maybe stretch, take a climb…sew a dress!"_ she giggled, knitting Waddles a new costume. " _I guess I'll read the books, if I have time to spare… nah, I'll paint the walls some more! I'm sure there's room somewhere… so then, I'll brush, and brush, and brush, and brush my hair…_ ouch!" she pulled out a tricky knot with a painful jerk. " _I'm stuck in the same place I've always been,"_ she complained, leaving most of her hair still knotted. " _I'll keep wondering, and wondering, and wondering, and wondering: when will my life begin?"_ she groaned, sounding seriously annoyed now. She sighed, looking out the window, and her eyes lit up, suddenly hopeful. " _Tomorrow night, the lights will appear, just like they do on my birthday each year,"_ she sang softly, stroking Waddles. " _What is it like out there, where they glow? Now that I'm older, Mama might let me go…"_

Bill Cipher grinned sharply as he looked across the kingdom from the palace roof.

"Man," he whispered. "I could get used to a view like this." He shrugged, and smirked. "Okay, I'm use to it. Kids, I want a castle. C'mon, pretty please?"

"Great. I knew we shouldn't have given this job to a sixteen-year-old," groaned Gideon.

"You're right. His reputation proceeds his skill," Bud, Gideon's father, sneered.

"Ah, c'mon, guys, I can be good," Bill snarked. "Golly gee, sir, give me a chance."

"Quit being so annoying and do your job," Gideon commanded. "Then, you can buy your own castle, you maniac."

"Ah, you know you love me," Bill teased, before slipping on the harness and lowering down through a window.

He slipped down, silently as night, and lifted a tiara lying on a pedestal below, guarded by ten guards… none of whom were actually watching the crown for some reason. One of them coughed.

"Dull day on the job, kid?" Bill asked.

"You got it," the kid muttered, looking over his shoulder, and he did a double take. By the time it registered what he was seeing, though, Bill was slipping out the window, and off running into the forest.

"CIPHER!" Bill heard the king bellowing in a rage. He just cackled, and ran faster, so the huge Gleefuls were huffing and puffing to keep up.

"Hey, compadres, can't you picture me in a castle of my own? Then I wouldn't have to take jobs working with kids like you! Oh, man, all the things we've seen, and I do believe it's still 8:42… make that 8:43 in the morning!"

"It's creepy when he does that," Bud told Gideon, who nodded his head in agreement.

"I heard that, and it's meant to be!" Bill cackled again. "Ah, kids, this is a very big day!"

"This is a very big day, Waddles," Mabel told her pig. "I'm going to ask her. We're going to see the floating lights!"

Waddles oinked happily, and ran around her feet.

"Mabel!" her mother called from the window.

"Okay, okay, Mama," Mabel called.

Se raced too the window, and tossed her long hair out the window, letting it fall to the ground, where a young woman with an unnaturally wide smile stood. The woman put her foot in a loop, and Mabel hoisted her up.

"Oh, Mabel, dearest, I will never know how you do that every day, it must be exhausting," the woman, Gothel, said.

"It's tricky, but you're pretty light," Mabel said, shrugging. "Anyway, um, Mama, can I talk to you about something?"

"Oh, sweetheart," Gothel said, turning Mabel toward a mirror. "Look in that mirror. You know what I see? A young girl who is still growing, but slowly becoming a beautiful young woman." Then she smirked. "Not quite as lovely as me, I hope… I'm just teasing!"

"It's fine, I know I'm cute! I don't care if I'm not as pretty as you," she shrugged. "Um, Mama, I do want to ask something though…"

"Ah, yes, tomorrow is a very big day, isn't it? What do you want me to get you?"

"Um, see, that's the thing," Mabel said. "I don't actually want you to get me anything… it's just, you see, Mama, I'm turning fifteen. That's kind of a big deal. You said I could go outside when I got older… I want to go see the floating lights!"

…

…

…

"The stars, you mean?"

"Nope. The other ones. The thing is, there are these other lights that randomly show up every year on my birthday for as long as I can remember. Can we go see them? Please? You leave all the time and come back okay, so it can't be that bad out there, can it?"

"Oh, yes, it can," Gothel told her…


	3. Kings and Queens (and Bad Parenting)

Author's Note: I kind of cut off the last chapter… so this one picks up right from last time. Sorry for the bad editing on my part.

Gothel sighed, and closed the blinds. " _Oh, look at you, you're fragile as a flower… just a little sapling, still a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower?"_

"Only I-"

" _That's right! To keep you safe and sound! I suppose I should have known this day was coming! You're a teenager; you want to leave the nest! Well, soon, but not quite yet!"_

"Mama," Mabel started, but was cut off.

" _Trust me, pet, Mother knows best!"_ she sand dramatically.

"I can handle it," Mabel said. "Please, just listen for a moment…"

" _Mother knows best! Listen to your mother! It's a scary world out there!"_ Gothel sang, shutting out all light. " _Mother knows best, and one way or another, something will go wrong, I swear!"_

"Can you turn the lights back on?" Mabel asked.

" _Ruffians! Thugs! Poison ivy! Quicksand!"_ Gothel listed, while creating shadows of each thing attacking Mabel, who was getting a little nervous.

"Stop it!" she said.

" _Cannibals! Snakes! The plague!"_

"No," Mabel pulled away from the green lantern Gothel had produced.

"Yes!" Gothel replied. " _Also, large bugs! Men with pointy teeth! Oh, stop! No more! You'll just upset me!"_

Mabel was very unsure of herself now…

" _Mother's right here,"_ Gothel sang, taking Mabel's hand. " _Mother will protect you! Darling, here's what I suggest! Skip the drama; stay with mama! Mother knows best!"_

"But…"

" _Mother knows best! Take it from your mother; on your own you won't survive!"_

"I was thinking we'd both go…" Mabel whispered quietly.

" _Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy, please! They'll eat you up alive!"_

"I…"

" _You're gullible, naïve, positively grubby, ditzy, and a bit… hmm, vague…"_

"I am?" Mabel asked, feeling very upset now.

" _Oh, yes, and I do believe, you're getting kind of chubby."_

"Untrue!" Mabel said, but she was so scared that it was barely a whisper.

" _I'm just saying, because I wuv you,"_ Gothel said, pinching Mabel's cheek.

"I'm sorry!" Mabel said, tears falling down her face as she tried to find Gothel in the dark.

" _Mother understands! Mother's here to help you! All I have is one request!"_ a spot of light fell on Gothel, who had her arms outstretched. Mabel ran to her, and sobbed into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"Mabel?"

"Y-yes?"

Gothel looked down at her coldly, making her flinch away. "Don't you _ever_ ask to leave this tower again."

Mabel hung her head sadly. "I… yes, Mama."

Gothel softened. "I love you very much, Mabel," she said.

"I love you more," Mabel said, wiping her own tears away.

"I love you most," Gothel told her. " _Don't forget it! You'll regret it… Mother knows best!"_ Gothel sang as she left, with Mabel's hair blowing in the breeze out the window.

Dipper paced back and forth in his bedroom. "This is unbelievable," he muttered. "Pacifica, why does a teenage kid keep getting the best of all our guards?"

"You're a teenager yourself, genius," his wife smirked. "Anyway, we'll probably get him. I'm leading a team into the forest after him in, like, five minutes."

Dipper smiled. "Thanks, Pacifica."

"Hey, it's nothing. I've known those woods since I was a kid. We met there, remember?"

It was true. Dipper had been in a particularly risky part of the woods, and was cornered by a group of thugs when this petite blond appeared and told them to "leave the kid alone." He'd been shocked when she proved how lethal she could be with a knife and her fists alone. He could hold his own against an army with a sword, but he's been unarmed, and there was no denying that this small, skinny girl had saved his life.

"I remember," Dipper said. "I must have seemed like a real wimp to you, huh?"

"Don't worry, I've seen you with a sword. Totally hot," she smirked. "Totally badass, too. We make a good team, I think."

"I agree," Dipper smiled. "Thanks for doing this, Pacifica, it means a lot to me."

"Hey, it's a big deal. If it were my family, you'd be working day and night to help me," she smiled, looking at the clock on the wall. "Shit, I have to go, my men are expecting me."

"Kick ass, babe," he said, kissing her gently.

"You got it," she grinned, twirling a blade in her fingers.

"Oh, no," Bill said, as he leaned against a tree. He grabbed the Wanted poster of himself. "This is bad, kids, this is very, very bad!"

"Never seen a wanted poster before? Cipher, you're all over the kingdom," Gideon informed him.

"No, it's not that- the new poster artist can _not_ get my nose right," Bill complained, showing them the poster. "C'mon, kids, do I look like this?"

"We have more important things to worry about…" Gideon said, looking over the hill. "Aw, hell."

Bill spun around to see the Demon Queen of the Forest, as he had dubbed her. Her blond hair pulled into a ponytail, her fierce red iron armor glinting in the sunlight, and her pure white horse all added to the image, but the wrought iron crown with the ruby gems completed it.

"What's up, DQF?" he called.

"Well, you'll be strung up by your neck pretty soon, does that count?" she asked, blue eyes flashing.

"I suppose we have clashing day plans, because that's not on my agenda! Sorry, beautiful," he laughed, as she neared him, and he ran through the woods, catching up to Gideon and Bud at a large ledge.

"Hey, kids, how's about you hoist me right on up, and I pull you up after me?" Bill suggested.

"Give us the satchel first," Bud said, raising an eyebrow.

"What, you don't trust me? ... Ouch, you really don't. Okay, fine," he handed over the bag that held the crown.

As he climbed up the Gleeful men, though, he recalled a particular technique he'd coined as a young kid for stealing purses for society women…

"Now pull us up," Gideon commanded.

"Sorry, kid," William shrugged, showing the satchel. "My hands are full."

With that, he ran off, even faster now, to hear what felt like the whole forest screaming, "CIPHER!"

Man, did it feel epic.


	4. Tied Up By a Crazy Chick

Author's Note: Just to clarify: Gothel is Mrs. Northwest.

Okay, go read now.

Bill ran through the forest, trailed by the armada and the Gleefuls. The weirdest part? The DQF had a track horse. The horse had been the downfall of half his partners in the past, some lousy stallion that the queen called "Soos."

"Find him," Pacifica whispered, dismounting. Her horse looked at her, worried. "I'll be fine. I've got Betsy," she showed him her hidden knife. The horse nodded, and began sniffing Bill out. However, he seemed to sniff right past the rock behind which Bill was hiding.

Bill himself smiled, and put a hand against what appeared to be the wall of a tall mountain… only to fall through the reeds into a tunnel. He gasped in shock, and slid down through the tunnel, until he found himself in a lovely clearing, with a beautiful tower in the middle.

"Nice," he muttered, as he tried for a foothold, and began to climb the stone tower. He entered a lovely room, and opened the satchel to see the crown. "Alone at last," he said with a smirk, only to find himself knocked to the ground by a heavy black… frying pan?

He looked up and saw a beautiful young girl staring at him in fear, before the frying pan came down once more and he was knocked out.

"Whoa," Mabel whispered as she looked at the tall blond man. He looked like an image from her fairytale book… a mix between a handsome prince and an evil thief. His blond hair curled out from beneath a tall dirty top hat, and a patch covered one of his eyes. He had a wrinkled bow tie around his neck, and a blue vest over a white shirt, and brown pants. His outfit fascinated her. She had never seen male clothing in person, only in pictures. In fact, she'd never seen a man before. This one looked very handsome, although she didn't have a wide frame of reference.

Waddles oinked around her feet. She looked closer at the man, and he moved, opening his eyes… um, eye.

"What the fu…"

Mabel screamed at knocked him out again.

"What should I do, what the hell should I do?" she asked herself. She looked around her room… her wardrobe! Of course!

Getting him in there proved to be a bit more difficult than expected, though. He kept falling out. Finally, she shoved him in quickly and pushed a chair against the door.

"Okay, Waddles, I have a person in my closet… I have a person in my closet…" suddenly she looked very excited. "I have a _person_ in my _closet!_ " She twirled around the frying pan. "Just wait until Mama sees _this!"_

"Mabel!" Gothel called from the window.

"And it looks like I won't have to wait after all!"

She tossed her hair down, and hauled Gothel up. "I have a big surprise for you," Gothel said as she entered the tower.

"Me too," Mabel smiled.

"I bet my surprise is bigger!" Gothel said with a smile.

"I seriously doubt it," Mabel beamed. "It's about the thing…"

"I brought parsnips!" Gothel smiled. "I'm making Hazelnut soup, your favorite! Surprise!"

"Thanks, Mama, but there's something I really do want to tell you. See, I've been thinking a lot about what you said earlier, and…"

"I hope you're not still talking about the stars," Gothel said with a sigh.

"Um, I'm leading up to that, yes," Mabel said. "You see, I know you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself…"

"Sweetheart, I _know_ you're not," Gothel said.

"Um, well, if you'd just…" Mabel approached the wardrobe.

"Mabel, we are done talking about this," Gothel said, a hint of anger tingeing her voice.

"Trust me, I-"

"Mabel."

"-know what I'm-"

"Mabel!"

"Oh, come on, Mama," Mabel begged.

"Enough! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS TOWER! EVER!" Gothel exploded in a rage. Mabel jumped back, tears in her eyes. Gothel sighed and sat down. "And now I'm the villain."

"I was just saying… I know what I want for my birthday," Mabel improvised.

"Yes?"

"Um… new yarn? The shimmering kind, like what you brought me once, and I made that blue sweater out of?"

"That's a long trip. Will you be alright by yourself for three days?"

"I'm safe as long as I'm here, right?" Mabel pointed out.

"Then I'll be back in three days."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Mabel squealed, springing up to hug Gothel, who smiled and hugged her back.

"I love you very much, dearest," Gothel said as she left.

"I love you more," Mabel said with a soft grin.

"I love you most," Gothel replied as she slipped through the tunnel.

Mabel waited until she could be sure Gothel was gone, and got to work on her escape plan.

Bill woke up and found himself tied to a chair.

"AHH!" he shouted. "What…? What _is_ this? Is this… hair?" He looked around at the hair that seemed to be draped over every available surface.

"Mine," a girl's voice said. "So, what's up with the eye patch thingy? Are you a pirate?" her voice sounded excited. Then, "Focus, Mabel." The last was whispered, presumably to herself.

"What? I'm not a pirate, I lost an eye when I was a kid," Bill corrected her.

"Oh. That no as fun as I was hoping," she said. "Who are you and how the hell did you find me?" Mabel? asked.

"Um…" Bill wondered what kind of flirting would work on this girl. Poetry? "I know not who you are, nor how our paths did cross, but might I say that your beauty puts the moon to shame…" she just looked confused now.

" _What?"_

"Um… hey. How's it going? The name's Bill Cipher, king of the lowlifes, scum, and losers of this kingdom."

"Who else knows where I am?" Mabel asked nervously.

"Nobody, okay, kid?"

" _Mabel,"_ she corrected.

"So that _is_ your name then. Okay, so I was in a situation, and I came to your tower and… okay! Where is my satchel?"

"The brown bag?" Mabel asked. "Oh. I hid it. You'll never find it."

Bill looked around. "It's in that pot, isn't it?"

Boy, this chick sure did dig hitting him in the head with a frying pan, didn't she?

When he came to, he groaned. "Quit that, okay?"

"Now it's hidden," she said. "Okay, so let's do this thing. What exactly do you want with my hair?"

"Pardon?" Bill asked, now completely nonplussed.

"Do you want to cut it? Sell it?"

"No, why would I care about some chick's hair? I just want my satchel, and I'll be on my way!"

"You don't want my hair?" she asked.

"No! Look, I was being chased by an evil queen, I saw a tower, climbed it, and I wouldn't have done that if I'd known I would be bashed in the head over and over by an insane… hot, but insane… chick!"

"But you _do_ want your satchel," she clarified.

"Yes!"

She smiled, with a hint of cruelty. "Okay, Bill Cipher, I think we can cut a deal…"


	5. Freedom and Follies

Author's Note: So, this is where karma comes to get our favorite dealmaker, and he is forced into a deal himself. And yes, Sam, I'm trying my best, okay?

Mabel looked at the man, who seemed positively freaked. She went into her wardrobe, and pulled out a knitted scene she'd been working on. "So, check this out. Do you know what it is?"

He fell forward in his chair and groaned. "Duh, Shooting Star," he muttered. "It's the lantern thing that the king does for his sister."

"Shooting…? Never mind. Don't call me that. Okay, so they _aren't_ stars…"

"Stars are constant," Bill said flatly. "Don't you know that?"

"Yeah… I thought that was right… anyway, you will act as my guide and take me to see these… lanterns. Then you will return me home safely, and I will give you back your… um, satchel, right? The brown bag. Deal?"

"Um… sorry, nope, not going to happen, no can do, nada, nope…"

…

…

…

"I can't believe I got myself roped in to this," Bill muttered, as he climbed down the tower. "Hey, Shooting Star, you coming?"

A scream came from above, and the girl swung down, using her hair and yelling "GRAPPLING HAIR!" at the top of her lungs. Then suddenly, an inch from the ground, she stopped, not quite touching the ground.

"Oh my god…" she whispered.

"What, you've never been outside before?" Bill asked sarcastically. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Holy shit, you haven't, have you?"

She looked down. " _Look at the world so close, and I'm halfway to it… look at it all so big, do I even dare? I just have to do it… should I?"_ she asked Bill. She looked so vulnerable and scared. Bill found himself smiling.

"Hey, it's grass. It can't hurt you. Trust me, you can do this," he told her.

" _Here I go,"_ she looked at him, and he gave her a reassuring smile.

She touched a toe to her ground, and her eyes became wide with amazement.

"Oh my god," she laughed in shock and wonder, like a caged animal taking its first steps of freedom. " _Just smell the grass, the dirt, just like I'd dreamed they'd be! Just feel that summer breeze, it's like it's calling me!"_

'Wow. That's… kind of sad,' Bill thought as Mabel danced around, a teenaged girl, because she was outside of a tiny room. Tears were literally running down her cheeks as she sang…

" _For the first time, ever, I'm actually sort of free,"_ she whispered in awe. She turned her wide brown eyes to Bill, and pulled him along with her as she sang… this was not in his agenda…

" _I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping, and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding, and splashing and reeling and finally feeling! Now's when my life begins!"_ She spun and hugged Bill tightly. Okay, so he felt bad for the girl, and he had liked giving her the first taste of freedom, but hugging? He was BILL CIPHER, master thief, prodigy villain, and enemy of the people! He was not supposed to be hugged! It did feel kind of nice… that was NOT THE POINT!

"Um, okay, get off me," he said.

"OKAY!" she smiled. "I can't believe I did this."

She began flipping out quickly.

"Mama will be so furious."

"What she doesn't know won't kill her, right?"

"Oh, Smile Dip, this'll kill her!"

"THIS IS SO FUN!"

"I hate myself. Everything is horrible forever."

"I'M NEVER GOING BACK! EVERYTHING IS AWESOME FOREVER!"

"Why did I think I could pull this off?"

"WAHHOOOOO!"

"I shouldn't have done this…"

"PARRRRTYYYYYYY! Best day EVER!"

All in quick succession, with added cartwheels and flips. Eventually, she settled on crying.

"Um, hey, uh, Shooting Star? I can't help but not that you're a touch… um, torn, about what to do," he said.

"You picked up on that?" she asked.

"Um… bits and pieces. I can fill in the rest. Except the Smile Dip thing, that made no sense."

"Demon candy. It makes you see Das Flavor Pups and Aoshima," she explained quietly.

"Fantastic. Okay, well, I'm guessing that you have a psycho… um, I mean, overprotective mom who told you not to leave the tower?"

"Ever," Mabel agreed. "She kind of flipped out when I asked."

"Okay, that's psycho then," Bill muttered. "Anyway, don't worry so much. This whole thing is just a part of growing up. You're, what, thirteen? I mean, you look older, but your clothing and excitement levels suggest otherwise."

"I'm fifteen tomorrow," she said, giving him a look of slight annoyance.

"Right, sorry. Anyway, you should have been allowed to do this a really long time ago. Like, when you were a little kid. At least by the time you were ten. I really do not want to do this. I'm not kidding, I really do not want to do this, even a little. I did make a deal though, and I never break a deal. So, let's get moving, okay? I know a great place to get a bite to eat…"

The King approached the tavern, holding a Wanted poster. He took a deep breath before entering.

"Hey, listen up!" he shouted. Nobody paid any attention. "Hey! There's cash involved!" The tavern went instantly silent. "That's more like it. Okay, this man, Bill Cipher, has a heavy price lying on his head." He unrolled the paper. "Ten thousand gold to whomever brings him in, and one thousand gold to anyone who gives information that leads to his capture. All will be paid in full once he is caught."

"Or," a voice growled. "You could give us the cash now, prettyboy, or we'll give that scar of yours some company."

"Try," Dipper spat in the large, tall man's face, and drew his sword. The man grabbed a battle-ax, and Dipper sprang into action, fighting like a demon. Within moments, before the large man even knew what was happening, Dipper had him pinned to the ground and held the knife at his throat. "Surrender, or I'll kill you."

"I… I surrender," the man said. Dipper smiled cruelly, and left the man with a deep cut.

"Anyone else think they can waltz up here and take the money?" Everyone shook their heads quickly. "I didn't think so. The offer stands. Bring me Bill Cipher… and you _will_ be rewarded."

He left, and mounted his horse. "I think that went well," he told his riding companion as they left… and another pair was nearing...


	6. Dancing in a Seedy Tavern is a Good Idea

Author's Note: So, I got a few complaints that Dipper coming into the tavern was a touch too convenient. Let me explain my logic.

Dipper is _really freaking smart._ He knows that criminals aren't going to be prancing through sweet village ice cream shops, or hanging at the burger joint. They'll be at the seedy taverns, and deep woods. He knows a few points where Bill's been seen, and he goes there. If you think about it, it makes some sense.

Also, I'm really sorry this took so long to write. I swear, I can't write song like this one.

On with the story.

Gothel was walking through the woods, bored out of her mind, and nervous about Mabel's questions, when she noticed a certain palace horse who's rider had left it behind.

"Hmm… where _is_ your rider?" she asked. Suddenly, an awful thought occurred to her. "Mabel." She ran back to the tower as quickly as she could. She tore the place apart, screaming for her daughter… adopted, yes, but still her daughter… who was nowhere to be found.

"No," she whispered. She looked down the tower, and steeled herself to find her child… her flower…

Bill looked around, and finally found the Tavern. "Here it is. Some of the people can be a little intense, but the food's good, and as long as there isn't a price on your head…" he looked at Mabel. "There isn't a price on your head, is there?"

"I… I don't know what that means," Mabel told him, looking utterly confounded.

"I'll take that as a no," Bill shrugged. "Now, here's hoping that whatever one the king's placed on mine isn't worth it."

"Why?" Mabel asked.

"Oh, they'll take us to be killed if it is," he shrugged. "It probably isn't though. These guys know what I'm capable of."

Mabel was getting nervous. "What kind of place are you taking me to, Cipher?"

Bill held open the door. "This kind."

Mabel stepped through, and was greeted by an army of huge, blood-soaked, muscle-bound, heavily armed men…

She stepped over one lying on the ground, blood spilling out of his chest. "He's resting," she said cheerily.

"Hey!" Bill shouted at the bartender. "Hey! What's a man gotta do to get a gin around here?"

Slowly, the commotion quieted. Everyone turned to Bill.

"Hmm… so, either the king has put a _crazy_ huge price on me… or you've noticed the girl," Bill smirked.

"Hi!" Mabel waved. "I'm Mabel!"

"She's got… a lot of hair," a thug pointed out. "The first option is right though."

"Huh. Well, I wouldn't recommend taking me on. I'm legend for a reason, kid," Bill smiled.

"There's a lot of gold involved," a huge man with a shiny hook for a hand said, approaching the duo. "I could buy a new hook."

"I could use some cash myself," a tall man covered in scars said amiably, pinning back Bill's arms with the help of another huge guy. Mabel was getting very alarmed now.

"Quit it!" she said.

"Hey, I'm broke, some extra cash would be welcome," another guy said.

"Stop!" she tried to push her way through.

"I'm going to get the guards," a man smirked, leaving the tavern.

"Well, kids, I'm sure we can work this out," Bill smirked, but he seemed sort of worried now.

"LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!" Mabel screamed, and a few bottles broke under the pressure. She stepped onto a table. "You! I don't know who you think you are, and I don't know if this is how people act normally, but I've lived alone in a tower my whole life, and even _I_ know this is wrong! Are you people so willing to sell him off?"

"Yes," a man said, approaching her.

"Well then you guys are buttfaces!" Mabel yelled. "I have been dreaming about seeing some lanterns for my entire life, and only this one guy can take me there. I finally have a chance, and you stupid jerks want to play 'Get Rich Quick' now?"

The men all seemed a little put-off by this. "Uh…"

"Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"

The man with the hook stalked over to Mabel, and she stepped off the table, suddenly wondering if she'd just talked her way into a really bad situation… she backed into a corner, and he stopped. "I, had a dream, once." He then started singing. Bill wondered idly what it was about this girl that made everyone burst into musical numbers. " _I am malicious, mean, and scary!"_

'There's the kicker,' Bill thought.

" _My sneer could curdle dairy, and violence-wise my hands are not the cleanest!"_

Mabel was really wondering if Bill was sane now. Why the hell did he bring her here?

" _But despite my evil look, and my temper, and my hook,"_ the man sang. " _I really want to be a concert pianist!"_

"Really?" Mabel asked. "That is so cool!"

"Hell yeah! _Can't you see me on the stage performing Mozart? Tickling the ivories until they gleam?"_ he sang, now playing the old piano in the corner, and doing it amazingly well for a guy with one hand. " _Yep! I'd rather be called deadly for my killer show-tune medley!_ Thank you! _Yes, ways down deep inside I've got a dream!"_

Mabel grinned, and began singing with the other thugs and crooks in the bar. " _He's got a dream! He's got a dream!"_

" _See, I'm not as cruel or vicious as I seem!"_ the pianist sang brightly. " _Though I feel like breaking femurs, you can count me with the dreamers because like everybody else I've got a dream!"_

Mabel smiled as a scarred, patched man took the 'stage.'

" _I've got scars and bumps and slashes! My hair is full of ashes! Let's not even mention my complexion!"_ he smirked. " _Yet, despite my cut-up face, and my bruises, and bloody traces, I kinda want to make a love connection."_ He admitted this, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"Oh! Yay, romance!" Mabel squealed excitedly.

" _Can't you see me with a special little lady, rowing in a row boat down the stream?"_ he sang.

"Oh, yeah, totally!" Mabel agreed.

" _Though I'm one filthy blighter, I'm a lover, not a fighter, because ways down deep inside I have a dream!"_

The bar began with humming with everyone recalling the confessions of others.

" _Tor would like to quit and be a florist!"_

" _Gunther does interior design!"_

" _Ulf is into mime!"_

" _Attila's cupcakes are sublime!"_

" _Bruiser knits!"_

" _Killer sews!"_

" _Gabe does little puppet shows!"_

" _And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns!"_ the whole bar sag, nudging a tall man who looked very blasé about the whole thing.

"What about you?" Mabel asked Bill excitedly.

"I'm sorry, me?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, you," the pianist said.

"What's _your_ dream?"

"Sorry, I don't sing," Bill said only to find about fifty huge knives pointed at him. He sighed, and stepped onto a table.

" _I have dreams like you, no really. Just a lot less touchy-feely. They normally happen someplace warm and sunny! I'm on an island that I own, completely rested and_ ALONE. _Also: surrounded by humongous piles of money!"_ Bill sang. Mabel's jaw dropped as she realized how good his voice was. He pulled her up to the table. "Finish it off, Shooting Star."

"Okay! _I have a dream! I have a dream! I just want to see those floating lanterns gleam!"_

She didn't notice Gothel standing, horrified, at the window.

" _Yes, with every passing hour, I'm so glad I left my tower! Like all you lovely folks, I've got a dream!"_

The thugs and crooks began singing ecstatically. " _She's got a dream! He's got a dream! They've got a dream! We've got a dream! So our differences aren't really that extreme! We're one big team! Call us brutal, or sadistic, or grotesquely optimistic! Ways down deep inside we've got a dream! We've got a dream! I have a dream! Yes everybody here has got a dream!"_

"Yeah!" Mabel punched her fist into the air.

Too bad it couldn't last long…


	7. Magic Hair Make Guys Want You

Author's Note: I am so sorry everyone! It's been a mess lately. I got a bad grade, and had my computer access limited, and I'm doing the best I can, but I really am sorry. On the up side… I decided to put a new person in this…Okay, now read!

The man who left to get the guards appeared in the doorway.

"See? Right here," the man smirked, pointing to Bill and Mabel. "There's his girlfriend as a bonus."

"What? I'm not his girlfriend!"

"She's _not_ my girlfriend!"

"Forget that," the pianist said. "C'mon!" he stamped on the ground, opening a passageway, and the three ran quickly.

"They'll follow us!" Mabel prophesized in terror.

"Nah, the dumb tourists are too stupid to take off their armor, and the sure won't fit in here with it," the pianist reassured her. They ran into a cavern, and Bill smiled. "You know, kid, I never caught your name," he told the pianist.

"Stan," the man gruffly said. "Now shut up."

"Well, that's nice," Bill smirked.

"I said can it, Blondie," Stan snapped.

Meanwhile, a drunken man was back at the tavern, singing, and milling about.

"I got'er'ream! I got'er'ream!" he sang, and then spotted Gothel, lurking outside. "Oh! Oh, man! Someone get me a glass, because I just found a tall drink of water!"

"While I appreciate the flattery, I need some information, if you please," Gothel smiled.

"Oh, sure! Anything to help a lovely lady like yourself!" the man smiled, looking at the cut of Gothel's dress.

"Well, if you would be ever so kind as to escort me to the exit of the passageway?" she fluttered her lashes.

"Sure! Why not? I'm Preston, by the by, milady."

"Fantastic. Call me GG," Gothel smiled.

"Anything you say!"

Bill was waiting for Stan to tell them where to go when Mabel began talking.

"So, Bill, where are you from?"

"Nowhere in particular. The deepest pits of hell, if you believe the Evil King, and his Demon Queen," he smiled.

"Um… I don't," Mabel said.

"Listen, Shooting Star, I don't talk about my story much. I am, however, becoming interested in yours."

"What do you want to know?"

"Um… the hair?"

"Nope!"

"The psycho mom?"

"Hey," Mabel objected weakly.

"Right. I don't actually know what to say about your pig… Ok, here's a question. Why didn't you do this a really long time ago?"

"I…"

"Hey! Who are these idiots?" Stan called. Bill glanced over.

"Oh, just two conns that I out-conned this morning. They don't like me much," he said.

"No, the horse," Stan said, smirking.

"DQR's beast. Also not my biggest fan," Bill shrugged. "We should leave now…"

Stan began climbing the mountain, and Mabel pulled Bill through a bush under ground into a hidden tunnel.

That tunnel instantly began flooding with water.

"Oh, c'mon," Bill complained. He dove under the water to look for an exit, but he could see nothing. "It's pitch black, and we're trapped… Sorry, Shooting… I mean, I'm sorry Mabel. Things didn't go as planned… I'm sorry…"

"Are we going to die?" she asked.

"Everyone dies," Bill replied softly. "I always said I'd go out in mid-heist… you know what? My name isn't actually Cipher. It's Sloan. I'm from the outskirts of the kingdom, and I was born in poverty. I'm no king of anything. My name is William Sloan, and yet, I'm still the most powerful conn in the kingdom. Or, I guess, _was_ would be more accurate…"

The water was up to their necks now.

"Well, I've got magical hair that glows when I sing, so…" Mabel smiled bitterly.

"What?"

"I… I… oh my god… _Flower gleam and glow, let you're power shine!"_

Suddenly, the cave was lit up by light as bright as the moon, and the stones were revealed. Bill… or really, William… raised his eyebrows, but quickly got to work getting them out of there. He slashed his hand against some rubble, but they soon got out.

"Holy shit," William said. Now he let the shock take him. "You have glowing hair."

"Yep!"

"Your hair. Glows."

"Uh-huh!"

"Why does your hair glow?!"

Mabel smiled. "You ain't seen nothing yet."

She began wrapping her hair around his sliced hand.

"Don't… um, don't wrap your hair… don't do… that…" he spoke awkwardly, and she ignored him. "Well, this is weird. That's coming from me…"

"Sorry… um, can you please not flip out though?"

"Shooting Star, I would say I'm as flipped out as it gets, but I have a feeling that I'll be proven wrong shortly. Are you about to imbue my blood with your radioactive hair or something?"

"No… I don't think that's how it works…" she looked at him and sang softly. " _Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine… heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine… what once was mine…"_

Her hair glowed like moonlight, and William felt the strangest feeling of wellbeing. When she unwrapped his hand, not only was the cut healed, but also so were all his other scars.

"Oh. Um, I'm not freaking out… this is great, actually. Thanks," he smiled.

"Any time," she smiled, blushing.

"How long…?"

"Always. Since forever," she grinned. "Mama says that I need to be protected, keep it a secret, or people will take me away… That's why I never..."

"It's not right," William said after a pause. "She may have had the best intentions, and she may not have, but it's not okay to keep you locked up. I'm pretty much without morals, and I wouldn't do that."

"Thanks."

The pair was leaning closer to each other, and for a moment, their lips brushed. It was gentle, and soft, and sweet.

Why do these moments never last?


	8. The Angsty Backstory and the Angry Mom

Author's Note: Skip. Read.

William was looking into Mabel's eyes, eyes that glowed faintly in the fading light, and he wondered when exactly he fell for her.

He thought she was hot when he first saw her. He felt extreme empathy for her when he gave her the first taste of freedom. He just had no clue when all that came together into him wanting to be with her.

He suddenly noticed that she was shivering.

"Oh! Oh, you're cold… sorry, I should go get some wood…" he got up, and gave her a smile. "I learned how to make a fire when I was ten, so this should be easy."

She laughed, and stood up as he began walking away. "Um, William?"

"Yeah?" he turned back.

"Stay a little longer?"

He grinned. "Well… if you insist."

They sat back down.

"Tell me about your story," Mabel said. It was spoken softly, but clearly a command.

"I don't think you want to hear it, Shooting Star," he said. "It's not a happy one."

"I want to know," she said. "It can't be worse than mine."

It could…

"Tell me," she insisted.

"I… fine. Fine. Okay," he gave in. "Okay, so when I was a kid, the kingdom was semi-decent. People could feed their families, and crime was low, and most people had a roof over their heads. That changed pretty quickly when Pine Tree- King Dipper- took over after the deaths of his parents. He was twelve, at the time, so maybe putting him in charge was a bad idea, but…"

Mabel looked at him. "What happened?"

William took a deep breath. "He was ruthless. He killed without mercy, and he took too much. My family was on the streets by the time I was eleven, and one night, I was attacked..."

"Your eye?"

"Bingo."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No, I need to say this. Okay, after that, I decided I would never let anyone have power over me again. I began learning how people like me could get a bit of power- by being criminals. I was a pretty damn good fighter, but I think it was my talent for subversion that made me famous. I was thirteen when I made my first heist of the royal castle. I was fourteen when I taught twenty huge men what an amazing difference a small switchblade could make. I was fifteen when they declared me legend."

He looked at her, and saw her eyes wide with shock. "When did Bill Cipher come into the picture?" she asked.

"I made up the name when I was twelve. I guess I always admired puzzles, and mysteries… I wanted to _be_ a mystery… And just this morning, I was on the brink of becoming the only thief in history to get his hands on a real royal crown… I'm glad that you took it though. I would still climb the tower, if I could go back. I'm glad I met you."

There was a silence. William cleared his throat.

"Well! That's pretty much my life story! How about you?"

"I don't have a life story," Mabel replied. "I was kept in a tower until this morning. You've been around for every interesting thing that ever happened to me."

"There has to be something," William prodded. "I mean, where did you get that pink sweater?"

"Made it," she said, offhand. "I had a lot of free time. I guess… I guess the most interesting thing about me that you don't know… I don't actually know where I come from."

"Meaning?"

"Mama isn't my biological mother," she explained. "I don't know who my parents are, or where I was born, or how I have this magic hair that heals the sick. I mean, if it's hereditary…"

William was giving her a stare of complete wonder. "I… I… magic glowing… heals the sick… Shooting Star, what do you know about flowers?"

"Um, they're pretty? What are you getting at?"

He thought about it. Overall, it would explain a lot…

"Never mind. I had an idea, but it would be pretty much impossible. I… I'm going to get that wood now," he said, starting off.

"For the record, I like William Sloan more than Bill Cipher," Mabel called.

He laughed quietly as he left the clearing.

Mabel sighed, and suddenly, Gothel burst out from the trees.

"Oh, my goodness, I thought he would _never_ leave!" she complained.

"Mama!"

"Hello, sweetie," she smiled bitterly.

"How the hey-hey did you find me?" Mabel asked.

"It was easy," Gothel spoke flippantly. "I just followed the sound of lies, deceit, and recklessness, and it led me straight to you."

"I… I'm sorry, but…"

"We are going home, Mabel," Gothel said.

"You don't understand! You never listen to me!" Mabel said. "You said the outside world was evil, but I've been outside all day, and it's been incredible! I've seen more today than in the rest of my life combined! I even met someone…"

"Right. The wanted criminal. I'm so proud," Gothel said dryly. "Come on, Mabel."

"No, wait… Mama, I… I think he likes me," Mabel said, beaming. "I really think he likes me!"

Gothel paused.

What was she supposed to do? Yes, she'd taken the child for selfish reasons, and no, she was _never_ going to win mother of the year… still, the girl meant something to her. You can't raise a little girl from infancy and not feel some kind of connection.

She was at war with herself. A part of her wanted to hug the girl, and tell her to go with him, run free. A stronger part wanted to keep her golden flower to herself. The part that won out in the end though, was simply the knowledge that this man was a criminal, and Mabel might be fifteen tomorrow, but she had none of the survival skills others had… and this man was dangerous. She couldn't let her daughter go off with a dangerous man into what had become a horrible, cold kingdom.

She just didn't have any way aside from her usual method of persuasion.

She turned around. "You think he _likes_ you? Please, Mabel. That's demented!"

"No, I really think…"

"This is why you never should have left," Gothel sneered. "This whole 'romance' that you've invented, it just proves you're too naïve to be here!"

"But…"

"Oh, please, why a kid like you? Come on now, really. Look at you! Dirt across your face! Oh dear, that ancient dress! Do be a darling, come with mummy… _Mother knows-"_

"NO!" Mabel shouted furiously.

"No?" Gothel was alarmed. "No. Oh. I see."

She came up to Mabel, and spun around.

" _Mabel knows best! Mabel's so mature now! Such a clever, grown-up miss!"_ she sang, angrily. _"Mabel knows best! Fine! If you're so sure now, go ahead and give him THIS!"_

She pulled out the satchel, and threw it at Mabel.

"What are you saying?" Mabel asked, tears in her eyes.

" _Oh, you know that is why he's here! Don't let him deceive you! Give it to him, watch, and you'll see."_

"I trust him," Mabel snarled.

" _Trust me dear,"_ Gothel snapped her fingers. " _That's how fast he'll leave you! I won't say I told you so… no. Mabel knows best! So, if he's such a dreamboat, go ahead! Put him to the test!"_

"Mama, listen," Mabel tried to reason with Gothel, to no avail.

" _If he's lying, don't come crying!"_ Gothel hissed. " _Mother knows best!"_

And with those words, she left in a puff of smoke.


	9. There's Truth in Your Lies

Author's Note: Okay, so I realized I threw a huge wrench in the Tangled plotline when I turned the realization of the lost princess from "Hey, I'm a princess!" into "Hey, my parents are dead and my brother is a psychopathic tyrant!" So, don't be too shocked if I go way off-plot. It's going to happen.

Dipper looked out the window of the palace. He sighed, and ran a finger down the scar on his face.

"Can't sleep?"

He turned, and saw Pacifica standing behind him in a 'lake-foam-green' (ugh, girls), nightgown.

"Why?" he asked her.

"You need to be more specific," the blond queen said.

"Why did that woman take her? She was just a baby… what was the point?" he asked Pacifica.

"Well… I don't really know," she shrugged. "Maybe… maybe it had something to do with the flower, but that's just a theory." She came up beside him at the window. "We'll figure it out, Dipper. We'll find her."

"Will we? Tomorrow would be her fifteenth birthday, Pacifica. She's been missing for fourteen years. Even if we ran into her on the streets, I don't know if I would recognize her…" he sighed.

"Yeah, you would," Pacifica countered. "Her hair, remember? You said it looked like it was made of moonlight. If nothing else, you'd at least recognize that." She pulled off Dipper's crown, and brushed his hair away from his face. "We'll figure it out. I promise, we will," she whispered, as she leaned in and kissed him.

Mabel and William wandered through the forest in the early light of the morning. Mabel was being strangely quiet.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask, am I going to get super-strength in my hand? I'm not going to lie, that would be cool," William tried to fill the silence.

"It's a possibility, but not likely," Mabel spoke softly.

"Right. So, why are you being quiet anyway?" he asked.

"I… You wouldn't double-cross me, right? You aren't pretending to like me, are you?" she asked suddenly.

"What? No! Where would you get _that_ idea?" William cried out. "I wouldn't do that! I mean, I've lied, and tricked people, and stuff, but using someone's emotions to take advantage… I wouldn't do that."

Mabel burst into tears suddenly. "I'm sorry, I…" she curled up on the ground.

"Wow… um…" William sat down beside her, and awkwardly placed an arm around her. "Um, don't… don't cry, um, isn't it your birthday? Um, yeah… happy birthday, now please stop crying..."

Mabel reached into the pocket of her dress, and pulled out the satchel. "Please don't hate me," she whispered.

William stared blankly at the bag in her hand.

"Take it," she said. She had stopped crying, but still sounded nervous.

"I can't," William told her. "That wasn't part of the deal. I won't break the deal. I'll take you to see the lanterns, and then, when we're back at the tower, you can give it to me, okay? That was the deal. I don't hate you, Shooting Star. I can't. You're too cute for anyone to hate, right?"

Mabel looked up with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I am," William grinned cockily.

"Thank you," Mabel smiled, and hugged him tightly.

"Oh! Right, you… do that…"

Suddenly, a fearsome steed came tearing out of the trees, snarling at William.

"Whoa!" Mabel cried.

"Shit!" William yelled as the horse grabbed his ankle, hoisting him up. "Hey, put me down!"

The horse refused, until Mabel stepped up.

"Hey! No! That is _not_ nice, we _don't_ grab people!" she chastised the stallion. "Put him down!"

The horse whinnied, objecting.

"Now," Mabel growled.

The horse dropped William on his head.

"Ow!"

"Okay, now, easy boy, easy… now sit," Mabel commanded. The horse sat. "Now, drop the boot. Drop it!"

William pulled on his boot with a grimace. His ankle was pretty bruised. He just hoped nothing was broken.

Mabel's entire demeanor changed. "Awww… Oh, he's such a cute horsy!"

"What?" William exclaimed.

"Oh, are you tired from chasing the bad man?"

"Oh, so now I'm the bad man?"

"Nobody appreciates you, do they?"

"He's a bad horse!"

"He's a big sweetheart!" Mabel defended the horse. "Isn't that right…" she looked at the horse's tag, "Soos."

"Great. You got DQF's horse," William complained. Soos growled angrily at him.

"Hey! Stop it!" Mabel commanded the horse. "Look, today is kinda the biggest day of my life, and see, I just need you to not get him arrested! Okay?"

The horse shook his head stubbornly.

"It's also my birthday."

The horse and the thief looked warily at each other, but eventually, they agreed.

A few hours later, they reached the kingdom.

"Okay, I have to warn you, don't… don't mention my, um, usual name… not here. Okay?" William whispered.

Mabel, however, paid him no mind, as her incredibly long hair seemed to snag on literally everything in the kingdom.

"Oh! Right, um," William tried to help her gather it up, but the pair couldn't quite hold it all…

Well, until William noticed a trio of small girls braiding each other's hair…

"Wow," Mabel spun around, looking at the long, flowery braid that the girls had created. "Thank you!"

One of the girls gave her a long look. "Is it your birthday?" she asked.

Mabel was taken aback. "Um, yeah…"

The girl beamed, and turned to her companions. "See? I told you she was the lost princess!"

William's eyes widened, as he suddenly put together what had taken the little girl all of two minutes to figure out…

" _Mama isn't my biological mother."_

" _I've got magic hair that glows when I sing."_

" _It's also my birthday."_

No. It was impossible…

That would mean… everything would be different… and not in a good way.

Her parents were _dead._

Her brother was an evil _tyrant._

The woman she loved as her mother was her _kidnapper._

Mabel was looking at him curiously.

"What do they mean?" she asked, confused. "What are they talking about?"

William looked into her wide, innocent eyes, and he opened his mouth to tell her… but he couldn't. It was her birthday. He couldn't tell her about her dark history on her birthday. He would tell her tomorrow…

"Nothing," he smiled. "Just little kids being little kids. C'mon, let's enjoy the festivities…"


	10. Seeing the Light (and Making Out)

Author's Note: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, you all probably hate me now! I had algebra AND biology finals, and that's no excuse but it's the truth, and please, please don't hate me forever. Also, this chapter was something I really wanted to get right! You can yell at me in reviews or whatever, but please read this!

William watched Mabel as she spun around happily in the town square. She had decided to have as much fun as humanly possible on her last day before going back to the tower… right, the tower…

He shook his head. No. No, he was going to tell her who she was in the morning, and then help her get to her brother, who would probably not kill him… maybe. Her brother had to love her enough to not kill him, right? Even if he didn't and William ended up swinging, he could _never_ let Mabel go back to her forced isolation from the world.

"Hey, William!" she came running up to him, a cupcake in each hand. "Take one! I got you a yellow one!"

"How did you guess yellow was my favorite color?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I figured that if you like money, then you must like gold, and therefore your favorite color would be yellow," Mabel explained.

"Shooting Star, that would make _everyone's_ favorite color yellow," the young thief explained, exasperation evident in his tone, but a smile on his face.

"Nah, it was your dream to be surrounded by piles of money. You like it way more than most people," Mabel reasoned.

"You remembered _that?_ "

"Of course!" she smiled innocently, passing him the cupcake. "I want to help everyone with their dreams! You in particular!"

He gave her a long look. "That's not my dream anymore, Shooting Star," he told her, taking a bite out of the cupcake. "I found something a lot better than cash to aim for."

She looked at him inquisitively. "Oh?"

"Yeah," William gave her a long look, waiting for her to get it.

She didn't.

"Jeez, I was trying to be romantic and you wrecked it. Thanks."

"Your welcome!"

They spent the rest of the day dancing, reading old books, and playing games…

There was one moment when Mabel saw a mural of the royal family, and the lost princess, and for a minute, William was certain she would figure it out…

Then she went back to dancing, and he relaxed. He wanted to tell her, just not _today_ of all days. Let her have her lanterns first…

At the end of the day, he pulled her down to the docks, leaving Soos with a box of Chipackers: The Chip-Flavored Crackers ™ and hiding a surprise in his coat pocket.

Soos gave him a look.

"I bought them, okay?" William justified himself. "I took a rich dude's wallet to do it, but I paid for them."

Soos rolled his eyes and began eating them, as William guided Mabel into a boat.

"What is this?" she asked curiously.

"It's called a boat, Shooting Star."

"No, I mean, why are we on a boat?"

"I hate crowds. Also… it's kind of incredible from the lake," William smiled. "I wanted you to have a good view."

With that, he pulled her into the rowboat, and she promptly fell on top of him.

Dipper looked out as the lanterns were being readied. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, trying to hold back choked sobs.

"Don't," Pacifica told him, bursting on to the balcony. "Don't cry. I was out at the town square, and oh god, Dipper, I saw something that I think might end up being really important!"

He turned to her. "What did you see, Paz?"

"I saw Cipher. He had a girl with him… and she had about sixty feet of hair that looked like freaking _moonlight._ Dipper, listen to me… I think… I mean, there may be a chance that she really _did_ see the lanterns, and…"

"Where did she go?"

"I put a few of my men on them, saying it was because of Cipher. They're on the lake. We can get them when the get off. Dipper, this could really be happening!" she beamed at him. A huge grin split his face and he lifted her up, spinning her around.

"I love you! You're the best person I know! Thank you _so_ much, Pacifica!"

"Don't get too excited," she reminded him as he put her down. "Cipher's really tough to catch. We've never had him in these circumstances, mind you, but just please don't get your hopes up…"

"I won't. I just… if it really is her, and that's a big 'if,' then it must mean… she's alive, Paz. I was starting to think she might not be, but she is _really alive._ "

"Yeah, I know. I hope it's her, too."

"It has to be."

William and Mabel were sitting in the boat when it started.

"Shooting Star, look!"

"Oh god, William! It's…" she leaped up, and grabbed the mast of the boat, staring at the lanterns. Then she started singing. " _All those days watching from the windows, all those years on the outside looking in… all that time, never really knowing just how blind I've been…"_

The lanterns were being released from the mainland, and it really did look magical somehow. Even the great Bill Cipher (or William Sloan) had to admit that… although, he was looking elsewhere.

" _Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight! Now I'm here, and suddenly I see! Standing here, it's all so clear; I'm where I'm meant to be!"_

He smiled widely as her huge dark eyes searched the sky and found the lights that the great ships were sending off. _He_ was the one to give this to her, and that made him more proud than he was when he'd stolen that crown right out from under the noses of the most powerful men in the kingdom. He'd done something _good_ for a change.

" _At last I see the light, and it's like the fog has lifted!"_ she sang. _"At last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new! It's warm and real and bright, and the world has sort of shifted…"_ She looked across the lights, and suddenly, she turned and her gaze met William's, and she saw the two paper lanterns he had somehow managed to smuggle onboard and light when she wasn't looking. " _All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you._ "

He passed one to her, and she grinned as they released the lanterns.

"Do you mean it?" he asked her.

"I don't lie much," she told him. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay with you. Is that okay?"

William watched her carefully. "If in the morning, you still want to, then… yes. I'd love that."

She beamed, and he decided to do something very stupid… and start singing.

" _All those day, chasing down a daydream, all those year living in a blur, all that time never truly seeing things the way they were…"_

Their lanterns floated higher and higher, and he smiled at her shocked look.

"You're singing…" she whispered excitedly.

" _Now she's here, shining in the starlight. Now she's here, and suddenly I know that if she's here, it's crystal clear: I'm where I'm meant to go!"_

He took her hand, and flushed intensely. He hadn't sung in front of anyone (when his life was in jeopardy didn't count) in years… not since he left to become Bill Cipher. Now, though, he was remembering why he'd liked it. She was blushing, but she looked happier than he'd ever seen her… that was saying something.

" _At last I see the light!"_ they sang in unison.

" _It's like the fog has lifted,"_ he told her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

" _At last I see the light!"_

" _It's like the sky is new,"_ she told him, blushing.

" _It's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted…"_ they sang, as the lanterns glowed around them, creating a utopian scene of love. " _All at once, everything is different, now that I see you!"_

They leaned closer…

" _Now that I… see you…"_ they sang, and there was a moment of vulnerability, where either of them could have said no… before their lips met, and bliss took over.


	11. Everything Falls Apart

Author's Note: When people start sending you PMs, screaming at you to update, you know you've screwed up. Well, I made this one with extra romance… and triple the angst. You're welcome…

As Mabel and William rowed back to the shore, they stared into one another's eyes.

"I'm just so happy that there are no more secrets between us," Mabel admitted.

William looked at her, and as he helped her out of the boat he took a deep breath. "I… Shooting Star, I need to tell you something…"

"It'll have to wait."

William felt a pair of strong arms locking his own behind his back, and covering his mouth. Mabel gasped in shock, and stumbled back, grabbing a rock to throw at the guy who was restraining William-

"Get off him!" she commanded, furiously chucking the rock. She missed. The man's breath hitched at the sight of her, and she curled her hands into fists, raising them up. "I have spent the last forever of my life in a damn tower, learning things. I know karate, you damn psycho!" A bluff, yes, but a good one, as the man continued to stare at her.

"Mabel?" he whispered.

"Run! Get out of here!" William shouted, breaking free of the hand holding his mouth for a moment. She turned and ran, but her hair snagged on a branch…

"Get her!" the man shouted at his guards, as he himself hauled William onto a boat.

"The king requests your presence… princess," one of the huge men told her, and Mabel screamed…

Suddenly, the men all slumped forward. Mabel looked up to see Gothel, fury in her eyes, towering over her, a man in a suit by her side.

"M-Mama…?"

"Come on, we've got to get out of here, Preston has a horse," Gothel explained quickly.

"Where's William?"

"He got away, he's going to be fine, come on we need to get back to the tower. You've seen your lights and had your fun, it's time to leave!"

"No… Mama, no, I don't want to go back," Mabel explained. "I… thank you, for saving me, but I've seen too much to ever go back to that tower! You have to understand- the outside world has danger. I get it. That doesn't mean it has more bad than good! It isn't so bad, Mama. I like it out here. I also know that William didn't escape. I saw him get on that boat. Mama, please, I've done so much these past few days. Can I at least break my boyfriend out of jail before we go?"

Gothel looked stunned. "How about, 'no?' We are GOING HOME. That is FINAL."

Mabel looked at the ground. Thoughts swam through her head. She was alone now. If Mama wasn't going to help, how could _she_ do it by herself?

"You really won't help me?" she asked.

Gothel sighed. "It's for your own good. Here's a deal: you come home now, and I'll get your boyfriend out- _if_ you promise to _never_ leave the tower again."

Mabel looked around her. Give up the world, so soon after she'd gotten it? She couldn't… but if it meant saving William…

"Deal."

William was being taken down to his cell. Royal escort.

"You'll be hanged at sunrise, you know," the Pine Tree smirked. "You may as well tell me where my sister is. Who knows, it might even buy you your life. It probably won't, but there _is_ a chance."

"Go to hell, Pine Tree. I might be a scoundrel, liar, and detestable crook, but I will not betray her. I won't sign her death warrant," William hissed. Dipper flinched.

"I won't hurt her! I would never! You- you- she's my baby sister! I just want to bring her home!"

"At what cost? She's a _good_ person! She _hates_ violence! I won't rat her out to a filthy tyrant with so little morals that he would make thousands of innocent people suffer!"

Dipper froze, and in an instant he was gone, and William was being thrown into the cold, dark cell.

Dipper marched up to Pacifica, fear in his eyes.

"Who's ass do I need to pulverize?" she asked instantly.

"I… Pacifica, am I a tyrant?" he enquired worriedly.

"What?"

"Am I or am I not a tyrant?" he repeated.

Pacifica looked him over, and crossed her arms. "Dipper. I know that you do what you have to. You've been through a lot. You're a teenager. Do you do bad things? Sure. So do I. Now who the heck am I pounding?"

"I am then," he sighed. "I should have guessed that the people see me that way. I don't know how to be a good king. I never did. I put everything I could into one goal, and I left the rest in shambles. Didn't I?"

Pacifica sighed, and nodded. "I have heard things like that, yes."

Dipper exited, went to his study, put his head in his hands, and wondered what he was going to do.


	12. Stupid Little Girl

Author's Note: I'm almost finished… who here wants to see the ending of this story, tonight? Well… wish me good luck, and hope that my mom won't make me do something aside from writing tonight, then, because this will be difficult… but I can try.

Mabel sighed as she stared at her painted ceiling. Her room was huge, but it felt like the walls were closing in. A tear fell down her face as she stared at the images above her.

She stood up, and looked at the things she had dreamed about, unicorns and princesses and castles, and suddenly, she decided that she hated those paintings. They didn't show what she really wanted. She ran to her closet, and grabbed her paints, determined to get rid of the imaginary perfections she'd imagined.

She started with a painting of a unicorn. The unicorn had a glittering mane, and soft pink fur, with a glowing horn. The kind eyes seemed to stare into your soul. Mabel began transforming the unicorn, giving it dirty white fur, a cropped mane, and wild green eyes, and painting the horn away. She smiled sadly, looking at the painting of Soos, in all his determined power as he gave her an amused look. Around him, she painted the forest she had trekked through over the rainbows and golden hills, adding the Snuggly Duckling over what was once a picture of an edenic farm.

Next, she went to a picture of a ballroom, with lords and ladies dancing, and instantly got rid of the elegant scene, instead drawing the inside of the tavern, with all the men laughing as she stood on a table singing. She painted a smile on her face, and added a curve to Stan's mouth to finish off the scene. The tavern may have taken up two jars of red paint before she finished, but to her, the wounds and blood didn't seem so bad.

She continued like that for hours, until the room became a mass of all the things she'd seen, and all the people she'd met… except one.

She hadn't painted William yet.

There was one painting left, a picture of herself on the balcony of a castle, holding hands with a strong, handsome prince. He was her dream love. He was kind, and honest, and caring, the kind of person who believed in love at first sight, and took in lost puppies. He was completely flawless. He also wasn't at all what Mabel wanted anymore.

She painted over the entire scene, knowing that this was one that she would have to start from scratch.

William balled his hands into fists when Dipper entered his cell.

"Calm down. I'm here to make a deal," Dipper told him.

William's head lifted up. "What kind of deal, Pine Tree?"

"It's simple really. I know that you know where Mabel is," Dipper began.

"I am _not_ handing her over to you," the thief cut him off. "I'll take the execution first."

"I am well aware of that. I don't want you to tell me," the king clarified. "I want you to rescue her."

"What?"

"My sister is in the hands of a _witch_ who has used her all her life. I don't know what I'm doing, to be honest. I never did. You, on the other hand, already broke her out once. This time, you'll have several of my best men, and a few of your own choosing, to help you," Dipper explained himself. "After you break her out, then you'll be granted complete amnesty."

"What about Shooting Star?"

"What's Shooting Star?"

"Mabel. I call her Shooting Star," William spoke cockily. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"A bit of one, yes. I don't want you calling her that in front of me," he told the younger man.

"Deal with it. Now answer my damn question!"

"Mabel will be allowed to choose where she wants to go," Dipper said quietly.

"What's the catch?"

"Simple. You have to tell her the truth about everything before she makes the decision."

William sighed, and looked at his hands. One of them was drenched in scars, while the other was completely untouched. He smiled, and held out his scarred hand towards the king.

"Deal."

Gothel knocked on Mabel's door, holding a bowl of soup in her other hand.

"Coming," Mabel called, opening the door. Gothel noticed very quickly that her flower was drenched in paint.

"What have you been _doing?"_

"Come on in," Mabel grinned, pulling the woman inside. "So? What do you think?"

Gothel stared in horror at the walls and ceiling, now covered in things that Mabel was never supposed to know how to paint. She'd had a taste of the real world, and now she had brought it inside the tower. She was never going to stop wanting more, and Gothel knew that if she let Mabel continue like this, she would never become the docile, easily malleable flower that she had been raised to be.

"It's disgusting!" she cried. "Mabel, you cannot have these gruesome scenes depicted on your walls! I won't allow it!"

"What? I worked hard on these, and I love them! I'm not getting rid of anything!" Mabel defended her work.

"I'm not letting you near anything like that!"

"What makes you so afraid of me wanting to remember the world?"

"I'm not letting you find out that you're the-" Gothel cut herself off, horrified of what she'd said in her anger and fear. How had she let that much slip out?

"What? I'm what?" Mabel prodded angrily. "You're hiding something big from me, aren't you? You're scared that I'm going to find out?"

"What? Of course not, you stupid girl," Gothel laughed. "Why, nobody as empty-headed as you could figure out anything, even if there _was_ something to hide. Now, just admit that you are a very stupid little girl, without a speck of intelligence, and take the paintings down, and we'll forget that this ever happened... or, I'll just lock you in your bedroom until you're ready to do so."

Mabel cringed at the insult, and looked down. "I am a very stupid little girl. I don't… wait. No. No, I'm not stupid! You can't keep me here forever, and by the way, I'm going to figure out what you're hiding."

"Fine. Tell me when you change your mind about that," Gothel hissed, slamming the door, and locking the windows, leaving Mabel alone in the dark.


	13. Fear and Love

Author's Note: We're almost done, people! This one's going to be long, and I hope that you enjoy it! Here we go… Just an epilogue after this!

William raced through the forest, determination filling his chest.

"Stan!" he called, as he rode Soos through the door of the Snuggly Duckling. "Mabel's in trouble and I seriously need help!"

"Blondie, why are you riding the Queen's horse? Also, why are there guards behind you?"

"Mabel's the lost princess, and Pine Tree made me take them," William explained. "Are you coming or what?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Stan got up from the bar and put down his drink. "Let's do this."

William turned around, and started heading for the tower…

Mabel looked at the paintings around her. She knew now that her mother wasn't trying to protect her. She was _hiding_ something. Mabel pulled the crown out of her pocket, and stared at it for a long time. If William hadn't stolen this crown, they would have never met. This round jeweled thing… she thought about the things she'd seen… the girls who said she was the lost princess…

She went to her mirror, and slowly, she placed the crown on her head…

"Holy shit," she whispered. " _Holy shit."_ __

She turned, and began pounding on her door, banging at it until it fell to the ground, revealing her astonished mother… except, this woman wasn't her mother, was she?

"Mabel! Have you decided to admit to your own stupidity and take down the disgusting-"

"I figured it out," Mabel smirked. "I know _exactly_ who I am."

"An who might that be?" Gothel sneered, unalarmed.

"Oh, you know, just the princess that you KIDNAPPED," Mabel growled, furiously. "I'm going to leave, and I'm getting William out myself. You have nothing to hold over me anymore, and you will _never_ use my damn hair again!"

Gothel looked shocked for a split second. "So you _do_ have a brain in that ugly little head of yours," she laughed. "Fine, you want to leave? Try. Your boyfriend is going to die, if he isn't swinging already. You're just a little fool, and you have no idea how to survive."

"I made some friends," Mabel muttered, thinking of Stan and the others at the tavern, as well as Soos.

"Well, then… try getting past a witch first," Gothel laughed, and with a snap of her fingers, ropes attacked Mabel, pinning her to a mirror, breaking it, and cutting into her flesh.

William dismounted his horse, and slipped through the tunnel. "Stay here," he told the men. "If I'm not out in… an hour, then storm the place, got it?"

The guards nodded, but Stan laughed.

"Yes?"

"Why did I have to leave my happy hour if you're just going to leave us out here?"

"I needed someone to keep Buff and Buffer here from tearing me limb from limb," William explained.

"Great. Good luck kid," Stan grunted.

"Hey, that's _my_ line!"

William slipped in, and shouted up the tower.

"Hey, Mabel! Mind helping me up? I'm here to rescue you!"

A long shower of hair light moonlight fell down to meet the young man, who began climbing instantly… and jumped into the room, running up to Mabel, as soon as he saw her tied up.

He grabbed at her ropes, untying them faster than seemed possible, and in under three seconds she was free.

"William, look out!" were the first word out of her mouth, the instant he ungagged her.

A sharp pain cut through his spine.

"No!" Mabel cried out, raising her fists towards Gothel, rage in her eyes. "Back off and let me heal him, or I will (CENSORED) kill you."

"I doubt that. You see, we are going far away. A new kingdom. Nobody will ever find you, and-"

"I'll cut it off," Mabel said. "I'll cut every last strand, until there's no magic left. I don't care if it takes weeks, or if I have to use my teeth, I will destroy it. Unless you let me heal him."

"What?"

"I'll go with you. If you're lucky, I might never escape. I won't even try. Let me heal him, and then, you'll get to keep staying young. Don't, and watch as your body decays. Your choice."

"Shooting Star, don't you dare…" William grunted out. "I'm tough, I can handle a knife."

"Not through the spinal cord you can't… what? One of my three books was on anatomy, okay?"

"Deal," Gothel agreed.

Mabel smiled, and knelt over William, wrapping her hair around his torso.

"I'm not letting you do this, Star," William growled. "Look, I'm not even worth saving, okay? I'll be swinging by sundown if you don't come with me."

"I don't think so. I think you're going to get out of here, and come for me," the girl told him.

"Not… happening."

"I can't let you die," Mabel said angrily.

"I can't let _you_ die," the blond hissed.

"I'll be fine… probably."

Mabel took a deep breath, and prepared to sing when…

"Wait. One minute."

Mabel looked at him. "Yes?"

He grabbed a bit of the broken mirror, and swung, cutting her hair at her waist. The glittering strands of moonlight disappeared, being replaced with dark brown.

Gothel slapped a hand to her mouth. "What did you just _do?"_

"Killed you," William growled at the woman, rapidly aging before his eyes.

"No… NO!" Gothel screamed seeing her reflection. She covered her eyes, and stumbled backwards out the tower window, and by the time her clothing hit the ground, Gothel herself was a pile of dust.

Mabel looked horrified, and tears ran down her face. "Oh my god… oh my god… Mama…"

"Sorry," William whispered. "I couldn't let you… I love you… you're my new dream."

"You were mine," the princess told him quietly.

With those words, he faded away.

The princess stared at the man in her arms. Gone. She thought about Gothel, the woman who had hurt her so much, but who she had loved as a mother. Gone. She stared down at William, and remembering a fairytale she'd once heard, kissed him, but he didn't awaken as the princess in the fairytale had. The girl finally broke down, sobbing.

A tear slipped under William's eye patch, and fell into his socket.

William woke up, and felt the strangest feeling. It was confusing, and he pushed it aside, to stare up at the girl who had somehow revived him, and didn't seem to have realized it yet.

"Um… Mabel?"

She gasped. "William?"

"I'm kind of alive…"

"William!"

Suddenly, he understood what he was feeling, and gasped. "Mabel, what the hell did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I…" William reached under his eye patch, to see if what he was feeling was real, and pulled off the thing. "My eye is back, somehow."

The pair smiled, and for some reason, William thought that everything might turn out okay.

Dipper paced back and forth on the balcony.

"You're going to be fine," Pacifica promised. "I swear."

"If you say so," Dipper smiled as he saw the girl enter. Her hair had changed, but her eyes were exactly the same as his. "Mabel?"

"Dipper?"

For the first time in years, the brother and sister embraced.


	14. Epilogue (Or- Get Out of Here Now)

Author's Note: Here's the epilogue! Man, this has been great! I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it! Thanks!

Hearts and Skulls

Sophia

So, yeah, the ending was pretty clichéd. I got the girl, and ended up actually being an advisor to the king. I'm pretty good at politics, if I do say so myself. When we returned to the kingdom… the party was a week long, and I don't remember a lot. There was free champagne, okay? Free. _Champagne._ I'm not passing that up.

The guys from the Snuggly Duckling? They had Mabel Pines on their side. Dreams were basically coming true everywhere. It was very annoying.

Pine Tree's okay, I guess. I still think he's a jerk sometimes, and I DO NOT get along with his wife. Pacifica is… scary. However, I don't think he's exactly evil.

Well, not _exactly._

One unfortunate thing was when I heard about my family… it was not good news. I don't like to think about that.

Speaking of families, though, I bet you're wondering if Mabel and I started one, right? Well, the answer to that would be…

NO!

We're fifteen and sixteen years old! We're not getting married for a _long_ time! Anyway, Pine Tree would kill me. With a sword. He's good at that.

 **Reeeeeaaaaally?**

What? Mabel, why are you looking at me like that…?

Okay, apparently we actually _are_ getting married. Great.

 **Hey, you'll be royalty. Isn't that what you wanted, William?**

Nah, I just want you… hey! What are you still doing here? Scram!

What, you need a happily ever after?

Okay. Fine. They all lived happily ever after, the end.

Now get out of here and let me kiss me fiancée!

 **Mabel here, okay? We are having the happily ever after part! This is awesome, so… The End!**


End file.
